The oldest evidence of body perforation in skeletons 11 thousand years old discovered in Turkey (photo)

Archaeologists have found the oldest known evidence of body perforation in skeletons dating back 11,000 years. The discovery was made at the Bonkuklu Tarla excavation site in southeastern Turkey.

The analysis shows that only adults had piercings, indicating that the prehistoric custom could have been a ritual related to the coming-of-age ritual. This was reported by Arkeonews.

A team from the University of Ankara found more than 100 pieces of jewelry buried in the graves of 11 millennial people during excavations. The jewelry was found near the ears and chin of skeletal remains.

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The variety of jewelry suggests that it was designed to be used in both the ears and the lower lips. This is supported by skeletal analysis of the remains, which shows wear patterns on the lower incisors that are consistent with examples of lip wear in various cultures both historically and now.

Further investigation revealed that both men and women had piercings, but only adults wore them. None of the children's burials at the site contained evidence of this jewelry.

This suggests that piercing was not only aesthetic, but also had social significance, the researchers believe. This challenges existing narratives that place the initial involvement in the practice of body piercing around the middle of the seventh millennium BC.

As a reminder, a treasure trove of over 30,000 unique artifacts was found in Sweden.

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